Category: Without Borders

We went to Myanmar again to help! We served 4 500 portions meals for aid!

A story from Oliver E Soe Thet, President Myanmar Chefs Association

Oliver and his team went to Myanmar with 2 goals in mind: 

• Our number 1 target was to do what chefs can best provide hot – nutritious – fresh food

Add healthy based on a Single Main Ingredient,- thick rich soups which can be a whole meal alone

• Our number 2 target was to arrange a ZERO Plastic – NO Waste

Help at one side and destroy much of the nature at the other side… “. Absolutely not needed we worked with 20 & 50 L drums ( 70 to 200 portion of meals ) which would come back after donations, cleaned and then used again for the next donation.

Sent to the requesting villages through the logistics of RESCUE with arrangements and planning by local authorities and the Social Welfare Ministry. We got the orders how many portion which village and what time pick up, than we produced – cooking rich Myanmar Cuisine. At the villages by boats and followed by MCA – WCWB members with loudspeaker & small boats the villages were already informed and came with small boats and their tiffan Food Container and requested the portions as their family members plus got an extra part from MCA chefs .. 

The system worked so well that all fresh – healthy cooked Myanmar food was delivered even hot when scoped and donated to the villagers living a live since 10 days on top of the flood water. 

Chef Nanda as main Flood Aid Mobile Kitchen Head Chef, supported after 3 days by Chef Zwel Pye Paing which came with his friend and had already the days before sent two of his staff. Food Artists & Chocolate specialists Ye Naing and Ye Myo Minn next to MCA Office Ma Khet Khet, Saw Sandy, Naing Oo and his top friend – Aung Kyaw Hein ( Mr. Mexico or the ever ready man when MCA has an aid project running ). Ma Titsa & Giacomo took care the store and the ready packed ingredient boxes,- for the chefs just cook through. 

The system as with World Chefs Without Borders in June at Shwedagon and Delta – power gas stoves and big pot cooking each 50 ltrs and 6 stations a good 300 L and good 1200 portion food per one round – we cooked 2 to 3 rounds a day. 

Mandalay RESCUE would always tell us how many hundreds of portion are needed,— next to big donations we opened also a small ” Soup Kitchen Counter “, where mainly children and some elder came daily and took a Hot & Healthy meal, always at 11:00 and 16:00 ready to eat.

The at disaster side on duty Fire Brigade troupe was also regular guest at the MCA – WCWB mobile field kitchen. 

Safety First at MCA – WCWB Food Aid:

– with Ma Thuzar Myint the menu was discussed on the healthy & nutritious questions 

– only with Live Jackets we allowed MCA members on the boats for food delivery 

– much Mosquito Coils and cream against Malaria and Dengue were taken care. 

Not to forget the many volunteers and magic hands – best people of Madauk the ladies which quick joined the MCA / WCWB team and so we had sometimes 15 to 20 more people great as there were a 350 kg Onions & Potatos to peel ( donated by Tin Tin & Hlaing Family suppliers ). Chili and Radish to peel, cut and wash – all bought at a 3:00 am night stop at Thirimingalar Market on 3.8.18 Bulk Purchase to extreme low rates. We still hired three day labor for 5000 K for the daily handy work to be done quick and easy and good to have one stand by for the carry jobs.  

The highlight was arranged by Chef Ye Nanda, – with the great donation of IKON Market ( Electrolux – Myanmar agent ) the 50 kg Australia beef and 50 kg of Norway Salmon, next to 600 port of Shwe Sein noodle and the by Pastry alliance over 150 kg donated dry beans, chick peas and lentils, tamarind. Thank you Ko Aung and Amy for these wonderful – nutritious food. All at best also for the Beef as Madauk and Shwegyin are a multi religious region and everyone got his best cooked to perfect high class taste by Chef Nanda. Thanks to convenient products as Knorr Caterplan s ( Fish & Chicken ) items – cooking times were much reduced and basic taste at best – Knorr here with great food production in high numbers as 1200 to 1800 daily.     

Menus Created & cooked as: ” Single Main Item – High Nutrition rich Soup ” 

– Radish Soup with Marsalla powder & Chili paste

– Noodle Soup with chick peas – Tom Yam flavor

– Rick Lentil Curry with Dry Chili and fresh Coriander

– Japan Flavored Beef Curry – slow cooked 

– Pumpkin Soup with Ginger 

– Chick Pea curry with Curry Leaves  

– Salmon Nga San Hine – Curry 

– Dry Bean Soup 

Also independent village groups came along which were overlooked or to early send into OK

status,- here we could with two villages easy with two drums each sent off 120 portion fresh cooked

for all village people and children. 

Here we also could hand over the many cloth and other items donations as the over 1000 T shirts from Wave Ph7 water or the many Malta Fresh donated by Dagon Beverages. These people came next days again,– an always 1,5 hours walk though water to reach their villages. 

MCA Team was best taken care by the RESCUE Mandalay team with a big hall at a Monastery s 2nd floor and every morning good Myanmar Breakfast at the Flood Coordination center near the Hospital and direct at the with many sand bags secured Dam with much water behind. 

The transport back was with some luck well received a good double story truck which fit all of the MCA team and all equipment – all food items were left behind to villages same as the 20 L drums ( just 4000 K ) and the big banner – good rain cover for a whole family s broken house.

90.000 kyat only for the truck Madauk – Yangon…. 

Much less luck on the way to the flooded area we had several issues with cars as the first ( to small ) light truck cost 70.000 K – the driver raised the prize last moment to 150.000 K as there as the danger of much water and no return – Of course there was all OK at the roads – no water the car did not stay the first agreed 2 days and the more money of course not paid back to MCA by the driver, a lucky one make double money on Donations,- in Myanmar often the case .. The bus we had was due to the to small high ace overloaded and in his final years engine did not wanted us shortly before Bago…. – Chef Myo Min Soe quickly arranged a new bus within 20 min that happened and the load was quick transferred – so this bus also could not stay the planned 2 days until Sunday evening and some team members had to take on top of the charges the high way bus and MCA pay another near lag kyat for additional transport. Here more networking with face book is urgent needed to improve as we did great with Chef Thurein in the 2015 flooding and had several times even a free 10 wheeler truck to Hinthadar Delta with tens of thousands of L Ph7  water, hundreds of bags of rice etc….      

Many thanks to all the chefs and private person which donated – where every 10.000 Kyat helped to create a 12.000.000 K ( 120 Lag K ) donation fund ( food, cash and high quality medical drugs ). The whole aid mission was planned and took off in less than 2 days – ready to go, thanks to face book, and thanks to so many chefs and friends – helped – as far as Singapore with Chef Than Naing Tun & Chef Eric Wong. Or Chef Kyaw Kyaw which arranged 300 kg onion free of charge. 

Last not least MCA could donate a 4000 Euro ” Tamiflu ” against H1 virus to the Bago Superintendent on the night of returning to Yangon – he and our best Bago 1969 Student & medical charity group & MCA partner since many days. We handed over the medicine donated by German Interplast & Stiftung Life to support the Myanmar health system in times of floods, monsoon and potential Virus infection times of the year,– a 96 times live saving donation, if needed. 

Now some days further boxes were up at the MCA Office and today again,– to Bagan for the Traditional Food Festival along the Lawkananda Pagoda festival 15. to 20.8.18 on the cooking road this time for Myanmar Tourism Promotion and Myanmar Cuisine awareness to International Tourism on the invitation of the Union Minister of Hotels & Tourism. Arranged by MRA and MTF.

Pastry Alliance with Aghee and Chef Aung Myo Lwin, Chef Ye Nanda, Chocolate and Marzipan artists are at Bagan again,- followed by Daw Thuzar Myint of Shwe Yin Mar for Educational talks on 

Myanmar Cuisine, food safety, hygiene and very special for Nutrition talks to Myanmar Tourists and show owners at the Lawkananda Pagoda Festival & Myanmar Food Fair Bagan 2018. 

THIS IS WHAT WE DO! 

#ThisIsWorldchefs